Calls for action over speeding drivers on Chesterfield road

A car left Handley Road, New Whittington, near the junction with Long Lane, and collided with a wall on Tuesday evening, January 14.

Although the crash cause is unknown at this time, residents said there is a history of speeding on the road and have urged Derbyshire County Council, the highways authority, to take action.

Keith Lawson, of Handley Road, said: “They seem to be in denial regarding the risk to residents and property caused by the high percentage of traffic speeding on this stretch of road.”

The 65-year-old retired software architect said he feared it would take someone being killed or seriously injured for action to be taken.

He said: “I managed to get them to do a speed check and 85 per cent of drivers were speeding – some were doing more than 85mph in a 30mph limit.

“They could put some little plateau humps to force traffic to slow, or little chicanes where you have to slow down to go through.”

Councillor Barry Bingham, Derbyshire County Council member for the area, said he regularly raised residents’ concerns with the authority.

He said: “It’s down to irresponsible car drivers not adhering to the highway code.”

Readers have previously branded Handley Road a “racetrack”, although the council said then it rarely implemented road humps on A or B-class roads.

A council spokesman said: “We’ve introduced a ‘gateway’ feature at this location, which incorporates a 30mph roundel on the road and ‘dragons’ teeth’ markings to alert drivers to the limit.

“There have been no reported injury collisions in the three years to June 2019, the latest data available, which means further traffic calming would not be considered at this stage.”

A police spokesman said: “Derbyshire Police enforce speed limits. However, it is up to the council for changes to speed limits, road layouts or signage or engineering solutions.

“If there is a concern around speeding in an area, it should be reported via crestderbyshire.org/about-us/report-a-speeding-concern - the reports are reviewed by the casualty reduction team and assessed on the basis of which areas present the biggest risk to safety.”